N.H. woman accused of lying to police during investigation into murder of Elizabeth Marriott

A 19-year-old Portsmouth, N.H., woman was ordered held on $35,000 cash bail at her arraignment today on charges of lying to authorities as they investigated the murder of Elizabeth “Lizzi” Marriott this year.

Kathryn McDonough was arrested Monday for allegedly lying to New Hampshire authorities twice this October as authorities investigated the disappearance of Marriott, a Westborough, Mass., native attending the University of New Hampshire.

McDonough worked with the 19-year-old Marriott at a Greenland, N.H., Target store and was also the girlfriend of Seth J. Mazzaglia, a local actor and martial arts instructor who is charged with second-degree murder for killing Marriott on Oct. 9 in his Dover apartment.

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Court records in the murder case against Mazzaglia have been sealed, but New Hampshire media outlets have reported Marriott was killed by Mazzaglia during a sex act, and that authorities have not disclosed whether she had agreed to participate in the sex act.

Marriott disappeared after leaving the unversity campus in Durham, N.H., to visit friends about six miles away in Dover. She also did not show up for her job at Target as scheduled or attend class as expected that week. Her vehicle, a 2001 Mazda Tribute, was found in a campus parking lot, the Globe has reported.

Authorities believe her body was dumped into the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth, off Peirce Island. Despite an intensive search, authorities have not located her body.

In Derry District Court today, New Hampshire Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley said that McDonough is one reason for that fact.

“The underlying crime here is the crime of murder,’’ he said in court. “The victim’s body has not been recovered in no small part because of Miss McDonough’s active involvement in the conspiracy.’’ He did not explain further.

McDonough allegedly gave false statements to authorities about her activities on Oct. 9 — when Marriott was last seen — and on Oct. 12, one day before Mazzaglia was arrested.

McDonough’s defense attorney, Ryan Russman, asked that McDonough be allowed to live with her parents once released. “We are talking about an allegation of deception,’’ he said in court. “We are not talking about an allegation of murder.’’

Judge John Coughlin set bail at $35,000 cash and ordered McDonough to stay away from Mazzaglia and to have no contact with Mazzaglia’s parents.